We just have earthquakes ... and volcanoes.

“Happiness is NOT the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” 

~ Steve Maraboli

Early morning reflections on the way to the market in Orewa on Saturday

Wouldn’t you know it.  The middle lemming is away in Christchurch this weekend and the country has once again been rocked .... quite literally .... by earthquakes.  The earthquakes have mostly had their epi-centre in the Cook Straight this time so have been felt more strongly in the centre of the country, not in Christchurch. 

Her earlier text to me said not to worry as there was only a little shake in Christchurch.

I guess other countries have their heat waves and flooding and out-of-control fires .... we just have earthquakes .... and volcanoes.

Mostly dormant ones of course.

Yesterday saw us walking around the rim of one of Auckland’s oldest volcanoes. 

The Pumphouse was built in 1905 to provide fresh water to the North Shore.
It's now a centre for the performing and visual arts in the city.

Exploring unexplored areas after markets is becoming something of a pattern.  Whilst we’ve travelled a lot around North Island there are so many unexplored areas closer to home that we haven’t yet discovered.  Being out and about on a Saturday afternoon after a market tends to lend to satisfying this impulse.

The Pumphouse Theatre

Yesterday we explored Lake Pupuke.  To all intents and purposes Lake Pupuke looks like any other inland body of water but it’s actually a volcano, filled to the brim with fresh water.   

Yep, fresh water NOT sea water despite being just 200m from the sea.

The hound was really eager to swim but Lake Pupuke is an ‘on-leash’ area so she had to restrain herself.  I don’t think the geese or  swans would have taken too kindly to her swimming

 ... and neither would the ducks.  They had issues enough!

One young male mallard was being taken to task by a female.  I’ve never thought of ducks as being particularly aggressive but this young mallard was being given a hiding of note.  It was compelling to watch and ended with the male, quite literally, walking on water.  His little orange legs and feet were whirling like propellers as he sought sanctuary from his oppressor.

A fascinating few minutes.

It’s the little things that wake me up to how little I know about this world we live in.  There were some rather large rather plump white geese at Lake Pupuke too.  We come across grey geese from time to time but I’ve seldom got up close and personal with a white one.  

I hadn’t realised what amazingly beautiful eyes they have .... beautiful blue eyes to be precise!

Who would have thought that a goose would have such piercing blue eyes!

A little bit of research ... yep, courtesy of google .... found me a name for this type of goose.  It’s an Emden Goose and is one of the most popular of domestic geese because of it’s size and the speed with which it reaches maturity.

THIS goose is the very image of what most people think a goose should look like ... but how many people ever picture a goose having bright blue eyes!

More visuals of The Pumphouse Theatre